Method of cleaning a film deposition apparatus, method of dry etching a film deposition apparatus, and an article production method including a process based on the cleaning or dry etching method

Abstract

A method for performing a cleaning process uses a cleaning gas and high-frequency power upon a film deposition apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate placed in a reactor chamber which can be evacuated to a low pressure. Supplying of high-frequency power is temporarily stopped in the middle of the cleaning process, and the cleaning process is restarted by again supplying high-frequency power. This method is capable of effectively removing by-products from the inside of a reactor chamber and makes it possible to form a high-quality deposition film, in particular, a high-quality electrophotographic photosensitive drum.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus for depositing a film on a substrate placed in a reactor chamber which can be evacuated to a low pressure, said cleaning process comprising: 
       a first cleaning step in which high-frequency power and  
       a cleaning gas are supplied to generate a discharge in the reactor chamber for cleaning the film deposition apparatus;  
       a second cleaning step in which the discharge is stopped and no additional cleaning gas is supplied, after said first cleaning step; and  
       a third cleaning step, in which the supply of high-frequency power and a cleaning gas are resumed to generate a discharge in the reactor chamber for cleaning the film deposition apparatus, after said second cleaning step.  
     
     
       2. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein a second cleaning step of the cleaning process includes the contents of a reaction of the cleaning gas remaining in the film deposition apparatus which occurs when the supplying of the high-frequency power is stopped. 
     
     
       3. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the cleaning gas used in a third cleaning step is different from the concentration of the cleaning gas used in a first or a second cleaning step. 
     
     
       4. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning gas is a mixture of ClF 3  and an inert gas. 
     
     
       5. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 4 , wherein the inert gas is Ar. 
     
     
       6. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature or the pressure in the film deposition apparatus is detected and the timing of stopping supplying the high-frequency power in the cleaning process is determined on the basis of a result of the detection of the temperature or pressure. 
     
     
       7. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein a period during which the supplying of the cleaning gas is stopped is completely equivalent to the period during which the supplying of the high-frequency power is stopped. 
     
     
       8. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein the supplying of the cleaning gas is temporarily stopped and restarted in synchronization with the temporary stopping and restarting of the supplying of the high-frequency power. 
     
     
       9. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 7 , wherein the period during which the supplying of a cleaning gas is temporarily stopped is determined on the basis of the temperature or the pressure in the film deposition apparatus. 
     
     
       10. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature or the pressure in the film deposition apparatus is detected and the timing of stopping supplying the high-frequency power in a second step is predetermined on a result of the detection of the temperature or the pressure, and thus the processing time before temporarily stopping the high-frequency power is preset on the basis of the predetermined timing, and wherein the cleaning process is performed in accordance with the preset processing time. 
     
     
       11. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein supplying the high-frequency power starts when the pressure of the cleaning gas in the reactor chamber has reached a predetermined value after supplying the cleaning gas into the reactor chamber. 
     
     
       12. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning process includes the steps of, after temporarily stopping supplying the cleaning gas and the high-frequency power during the cleaning process in a second step, moving a reactor chamber unit, forming a part of the film deposition apparatus, to a location different from a location where the film deposition apparatus is installed, and restarting the cleaning process in a third step upon the reactor chamber unit and upon the vacuum pump unit at the same time or at different times. 
     
     
       13. A process for dry etching an undesired solid substance present in the vacuum processing apparatus, comprising: 
       a first dry etching step in which high-frequency power and a dry etching gas are supplied to generate a discharge under a low pressure;  
       a second dry etching step, in which the discharge is stopped and no additional dry etching gas is supplied; and  
       a third dry etching step, in which the supply of high-frequency power and the dry etching gas are resumed to generate a discharge after said second drying step.  
     
     
       14. A method of producing an article, comprising: 
       a film depositing step, in which a substrate is placed in a reactor chamber and a film is deposited on the substrate; and  
       a cleaning step including:  
       a first cleaning step, in which, after completion of said film depositing step, the substrate is taken out of the reactor chamber, and a cleaning gas and high-frequency power are supplied into the reactor chamber;  
       a second cleaning step, in which the supplying of the high-frequency power is stopped and no additional cleaning gas is supplied; and  
       a third cleaning step, in which the supply of cleaning gas and the high-frequency power are resumed,  
       wherein after completion of said cleaning step, said film depositing step is performed to deposit a film on another substrate.  
     
     
       15. A method of producing an article, according to  claim 14 , wherein, in said second cleaning step, the supplying of the cleaning gas is stopped. 
     
     
       16. A method of producing an article, according to  claim 14 , wherein the article includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor. 
     
     
       17. A method of performing a cleaning process upon a film deposition apparatus, according to  claim 1  for depositing a film on a substrate placed in a reactor chamber which can be evacuated to a low pressure, said cleaning process being performed using a cleaning gas and high-frequency power, 
       wherein the concentration of the cleaning gas in said first cleaning step is higher than the concentration of the cleaning gas in said second cleaning step and higher than that in the third cleaning step, and the internal pressure in the reactor chamber in said first cleaning step is lower than in said second cleaning step, and is lower than that in the third cleaning step.